October 2012

"Stand Tall for History" was the theme for the Southwest Historical Society luncheon at Salty's on Alki Oct. 13.

In keeping with that tall order the Space Needle figured prominently in the event with a genuine 1962 banner of the Needle on display up front, keying the presentation by authors Paula Becker and Alan J. Stein.

They spoke about the 1962 Seattle World's Fair and show images from their book "The Future Remembered: The 1962 Seattle World's Fair And Its Legacy" and also had copies of their previous book "Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, Washington's First World's Fair: A Timeline History".

The fundraising event featured a silent auction of unique items with a historical flair, and a society tradition the Dessert Dash featuring very special home made dessert creations, up for bid, hosted by Carole Ferrer.

Master of Ceremonies Clay Eals introduced past presidents, and others, and kept the proceeding moving.

SWS press release
October Forum: Transportation and West Seattle: Metro, Viaduct, Streets, Future?

Bus Transit, Tunnel Construction, and More! Join Sustainable West Seattle for our October Community Forum, Monday, October 15, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at West Seattle Senior Center, 4217 SW Oregon St., around the corner from California-Oregon intersection, upstairs.

Join us for an evening’s discussion of the changes afoot for transportation in and connecting West Seattle. The evening will include presentations and open dialog on:

The new RapidRide service (RapidRide C)and other route changes Metro will have in place affecting West Seattle;

Effects of the continuing Alaska Way Viaduct work on the West Seattle, our southern neighbors, and the rest of the city;

A Study of High Capacity Transit from downtown to Ballard and the implications for rail access to West Seattle;

The condition of West Seattle thoroughfares and the multiple visions for Fauntleroy Way, Delridge Way and California Avenue.

Our panel includes:

If you watched last week’s Sealth game you saw a team that doesn’t give up. No matter what the score is. On Oct. 12 that fighting spirit kept them in the game when it mattered most.

The Huling Bowl. This is the West Seattle version of the Apple Cup. Families have members that went to both schools. Husbands that went to West Seattle and wives that went to Chief Sealth. Standing together but cheering for different teams. Each making fun of the other when their team made a good play. Enjoying the moment, as chants rang out from different sections of the stadium. This is what makes Friday night football fun. But only one team is going to walk away with bragging rights for the next year.

A small kitchen fire at 6911 California Ave SW was quickly extinguished by the resident, but not before a big response arrived and blocked traffic on the street for a brief time. There were no injuries.

The fire department was called after a first attempt with a chemical extinguisher failed. According to the SFD incident commander there was a small amount of damage to the kitchen .

Sports Roundup
Monday, Oct. 8
Volleyball
SCS 3, Charles Wright 0
Seattle Christian slapped Charles Wright of Tacoma with a 3-0 loss last Monday.
Aub. Mtn. 3, Mt. Rainier 0
Auburn Mountainview was a 3-0 winner over the Rams this past Monday.

Tuesday, Oct. 9
Girls soccer
Highline 7, Tyee 0
The Pirates tripped up Tyee this past Tuesday.
Tahoma 7, Mt. Rainier 0
Mount Rainier went down to a 7-0 loss to the Bears on Tuesday.
Lindbergh 12, Evergreen 0
Lindbergh soared to victory over the Wolverines in Tuesday action.
Kennedy 8, Foster 0
Kennedy was also decisive in its victory Tuesday.
SCS 3, Cedar Park Chr. 0
Seattle Christian scored a 3-0 win over Cedar Park Christian this past Tuesday.
Volleyball
Kennedy 3, Evergreen 0
The Lancers swept all three games from the Wolverines on Tuesday.
Hazen 3, Foster 1
Foster salvaged one win against the Highlanders last Tuesday.

Wednesday, Oct. 10
Boys tennis
Kennedy 7, Hazen 0
Jamie Thorp led the Lancers to victory last Wednesday, winning the No. 1 singles match by a 6-0, 6-0 score over David Vaisar of Hazen.
Volleyball
Auburn 3, Mt. Rainier 0

By Rev. Judith Laxer

Harvesting happens in waves. If the weather was conducive, if you had time when the time was right, if you were successful in getting your seeds to sprout and your starts to root, you might have been harvesting your own lettuce and radishes by Memorial Day. Summer brings fruition in turn; peas and beans, zukes and peppers. Grains ripen as August arrives and by the end of September, apples and pears join tomatoes of every shape, color and size in readiness. The delight in eating all you’ve tended is good. Upholding the tradition of preserving is fun as dreams of apple sauce on your deep Winter breakfast of oatmeal bubble up with the canning water. Learning to make syrup from your blackberries is a new trick to savor. And the colors of Autumn are a feast in themselves.

King County Sheriff Steve Strachan announced on Oct. 12 that he plans to hire 14 additional deputies from September to January, using money saved in their existing budget due to a new zoning model and a reduction in overtime hours.

It is unclear at this time where those deputies will be assigned, although KCSO Sgt. Cindi West said Southwest King County has the highest call loads and the Eastside has the largest geographical area to cover, so those are the most likely candidates. West said the “Southwest” region includes White Center, Burien and SeaTac, for example, so it could mean more KCSO coverage in those areas.

West said the new zoning model that moves on-the-clock deputies to different beats if the need arises has saved the department $600,000 in 2012. She estimated 8000 overtime hours at an average rate of $75 an hour were saved in relation to last year. West said an estimated additional $400,000 has also been saved in “backfill” overtime, and that money will go towards the funding of new positions.

Update for Oct. 19
In a followup to King County Sheriff Steve Strachan's announcement that he is hiring 14 deputies to cover unincorporated parts of King County, another update for Oct. 19 indicates it will result in additional coverage for southwest King County, including White Center.

Here is the announcement from KCSO Sgt. Cindi West:

King County Sheriff Steve Strachan announced last week that 14 new deputies will be hired over the course of the next few months to “beef up” patrol in unincorporated areas of the county.

Today Sheriff Strachan said he anticipates that some of the deputies will be assigned to unincorporated areas in the southwest part of the county which includes the White Center area.

“The southwest area has one of the highest volumes of calls in unincorporated King County,” said Sheriff Steve Strachan. “Adding more deputies will provide better service to our residents and increase safety for our deputies.” The Sheriff hopes to add at least 3 new deputies to this area as soon as they are ready for deployment.

A group of University of Washington researchers, in a study published in the American Journal of Public Health, took a closer look at the challenges facing vulnerable populations in King County food deserts, and the information provides insight into the struggles of those in our own backyard, including Highland Park and North Delridge.

They found that access to a car and the cost of nearby supermarkets are large determinants in defining a food desert.

Food deserts are areas with limited access to healthy food options (AKA a supermarket), where the quickest way to a meal is often a fast food restaurant or shelves of processed, prepackaged food common in convenience stores.

Researchers looked at vulnerable populations in their study, defined by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as “….populations including the economically disadvantaged, racial and ethnic minorities, the uninsured, low-income children, the elderly, the homeless, … (and) those with chronic health conditions.”

Because times have changed from what many adults remember about their school experience, SeaTac Police Chief Jim Graddon told SeaTac lawmakers Oct. 9, a full-time police officer is needed at the Tyee High campus and Chinook Middle School.

The council members agreed and unanimously voted to renew the School Resource Officer (SRO) contract for the adjoining campuses.

Councilmember Pam Fernald noted constituents question her about the program.

The police chief said that a police officer has much more authority than a school district security officer. With arrest powers, a police officer can deal more effectively with weapons, drugs or an unruly student at school. The officer can also handle problems off school grounds, he added.

With the officer already on site, there are fewer 911 calls from the school, which would have taken officers off patrols, he added.

Especially in the middle school, a police officer can also develop relationships with students and serve as a mentor, he said.

“Just one person deciding not to go in the wrong direction would be worth it,” Graddon declared.